Summary: We need to be alert to satan’s subtle, shrewd, astute maneuver to attack you when you least expect it. He comes unannounced!

1 Chronicles 21:1”Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.”

Today I have a very important message to share with you and that is how satan will attack your mind! War in the mind! We need to be alert to satan’s subtle, shrewd, astute maneuver to attack you when you least expect it. He comes unannounced! Don’t read this message flippantly, but meditate, understand, refer the scriptures and be alert to the evil devices of the devil! Read the entire message, even if it may take a few days, but don’t miss God’s Word prepared for you. I have also enclosed a short 10 minutes video link of this sermon, find time to hear and be blessed.

Friend, many fail to perceive the invisible, subtle attack of the devil on the mind of a person, hence I write this with a lot of burden. We have profound truths and great learning from this chapter, let’s see how much we can study. Observe the first verse: Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel! Listen! Satan was not against David but he was against Israel – a whole nation of God’s people, hence in order to attack them he used David! He instigated David to sin at his most vulnerable moment. The previous chapter ends victoriously announcing David’s triumph over his enemies, “These were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.” (1 Chronicles 20:8) We tend to get proud, boisterous and bigheaded after a great victory, don’t we? Not many of us can have the humility and dignity of Mr. Neil Armstrong who was the first man who landed the moon, who never flaunted himself like a peacock and it was said that he rarely gave interviews and avoided the spotlight, after leaving the space programme; Mr.Armstrong was careful to do nothing to tarnish that image or achievement – unlike people who brag and swagger in as much functions as possible after success these days – not to forget the garlands, dollars and cars that would follow. It sure needs grit to stay cool in the midst of such stardom!

Okay, the scripture says, ‘satan moved David to sin’, now what was that? David said:

“Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it." What does this mean? David wanted to know the strength of his army, his commander Joab knew that this was a sin and he warned David; yet, presumptuously David insisted that Joab does it.

Attack on the mind:

Friend, I want to pause here and emphasize this point of the devil provoking you and also speaking to your mind so that you sin against God. If David had been careful and prayerful this great calamity against the people of Israel could have been avoided. A leader is responsible for the downfall of his people – that includes the leaders of the church as well. One particular pastor paid 40K to a builder and said, ‘Oops , the builder cheated me and ran away with the money (offering given by the people of God) that was given for putting false wooden ceiling’; in the first place the money was used not for vital purpose but for decoration and second the pastor should have been careful in selecting the workers. These are the irresponsible ‘Oops leaders’ who allow the people to go astray. I can give you endless number of incidents where the pastors have made drastic mistakes in the affairs of the church and left the church in the lurch. Satan uses the leaders to destroy the team! Beware! One particular young pastor was sent to a difficult area in order to conduct prayer cells and preach the word for the growth of the people in that particular town. Satan attacked the mind of that young pastor, he started looking at a young girl who attended the prayer cell, this is where many of them fall. Finally the prayer cell was cancelled but the marriage bells went ding…dong… for their marriage.